Iga Swiatek defeated Elena Rybakina 6-2 7-5 to secure a 15th consecutive victory in Doha.
The Pole is into the last four in Doha as her bid for a fourth consecutive title in Qatar continues with a straight sets win over Rybakina.
Both players have endured a fierce rivalry with most of their battles going to three sets but Swiatek set the pace early with some attacking and aggressive tennis.
Breaks of serve in the second and eighth game secured the opening set as Rybakina needed to improve her game.
However there was an immediate response from Rybakina as she broke Swiatek in the opening game with some clinical hitting.
The Kazakh had to survive some immense pressure from Swiatek as the world number seven saved five break points.
Save them Rybakina did but all her hard work was undone in the eighth game as Swiatek converted her sixth break point opportunity to hold for 4-4.
In the next game Swiatek was forced to save two break points before breaking serve for the match to secure a 15th consecutive win and had this to say after the match, “I’m super happy, super proud of myself. Playing against Elena is never easy,” Swiatek told the WTA website.
“At the beginning of the second set, she increased her level, so I needed to do that too to come back. I’m really happy, especially in the last game, to break Elena, because with her serve, it’s tough.”
Swiatek will now play Jelena Ostapenko for a place in the final after the Latvian defeated Ons Jabeur 6-2 6-2 in the quarter-finals.
Ostapenko currently leads the head-to-head 4-0 and will aim to spoil the Swiatek party once again in Doha.
